Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 November 2017, HCWS265, on toxicology, what assessment he has made of the capacity of HM Courts and Tribunal Service to expedite cases in which test results have been manipulated.

Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and the judiciary are aware of the seriousness of this issue, and arrangements are in place to monitor any increased demand on the courts.

This will include monitoring the number of applications for leave to appeal in criminal cases and any substantive appeals in the Court of Appeal. The number of bespoke family court forms submitted to ask the court to consider varying or setting aside their final family court order will be monitored too.

This will ensure the process is kept under review to meet the requirements of family court users.